Tag: Sugar City ID

There are not many better things on a back road trip than running into unexpected wildlife. There is an abundance of birds and animals to be discovered on the road. For me, my camera is always at the ready for the chance meeting of some interesting animal or bird.

Sandhill Cranes fly over high plains near Dell, MT

One such incident happened on a gravel road near Dell, Montana. I was on the lookout for bison as I drive along Ted Turner’s massive bison ranch. While stopped to look I heard a strange bird call that I had never heard and shortly thereafter a pair of large birds came zipping by. I got some shots, but wasn’t sure what I had until I got to the hotel later that night and discovered they were a pair of Sandhill Cranes, my first ever sighting of these glorious birds.

Just a few years later in my own state of Kentucky I was able to track down a migration of 1000s of these magnificent birds. I actually came close to walking among their huge flock and they were flying all around me. Words can’t explain the awe I had.

These birds migrate north back to their homes in Michigan and Wisconsin and fly through Kentucky in late January. They stop in the bounteous cornfields to eat the leftovers that remained after harvest.

1000s of sandhill cranes converse on a field near Cecilia, KYSandhill Cranes take flightSandhill Cranes fly over Cecilia, KY

Chance encounters are always a thrill. On a morning drive in Grand Teton National Park on a snowy morning in March 2013, I caught a fox leaping in the snow out of the corner of my eye. The lovely animal stopped and stared at me as I sought to nab a shot.

Fox on Snow in Grand Teton National ParkMigrating Snow Geese by the hundreds in Arkansas in February 2017

On another trip earlier this year, we were driving on a backroad in Arkansas when we saw a “field of white” ahead of us. Turned out to be a massive flock of migrating snow geese.

There could have been 1000s of them here, much the same as the Sandhill Cranes I noted above. But it was such an unplanned surprise.

Once again, camera was always at the ready, so I was able to get a few shots while still sitting in the van (though we had to go about a mile down the road to turn around and accommodate the photo shoot.

Snow Geese everywhereA flock of Snow Geese darkens the sky1000s of snow geese in a small field in central Arkansas

Just like the snow geese, I happened upon a large flock of white pelicans at Andes Lake in South Dakota. I could see them from a distance and thought they were ducks.

Pelicans in Lake Andes, SDPelicans taking flight at Andes LakeAntelope in open range along the side of Wyoming 120

Of course, its not always about birds. There are plenty of opportunities in the high plains to come across America’s fastest animal, the pronghorn antelope.

On trips through Montana and Wyoming I always saw these lovely sleek animals. Sometimes I got them right on the side of the road.

I did have one lucky trip in 2013 when I was driving through Colorado and saw a mother and her two calves go jaunting through the tall grass. I was able to get a nice shot with my telephoto lens.

Antelope Doe and Calves as seen from CO Hwy 13 north of Craig, COAntelope just stared back at me…didn’t runA small family of pronghorn Antelope scamper across a field near Pulis Lane in Wilsall, Montana.Antelope on the Run in WyomingA big bison poses for me in Yellowstone

The National Parks are always a great place to get some nice wildlife shots. I have been to Yellowstone three times in the past 5 years and have seen a nice variety of wildlife, but mainly its the bison that roam free that are a thrill. I was amazed at how huge some of these guys get. One that walked by my car was at least 7 feet tall.

Bison and calves relax by a lake in YellowstoneBison roam freely along the Grand Loop roadBison relax along Lava Creek in Yellowstone while pronghorned antelope look on from the backgroundBuffalo in southern Montana on Ted Turner’s sprawling ranch near Dell, MTAnother Bison in Yellowstone ParkA solitary elk bull relaxes in the meadow at Yellowstone

Elk are another great large mammal to look for. I have seen them in Yellowstone and Grand Teton, as well as some of the mountain drives I made.

These are lovely animals. And, like the bison, are huge.

Elk Bull in Sugar City, IdahoAn Elk Bull near Elkton, OregonOne antlered elk bull on a breeding farm near Archer, IDAn elk was seen roaming the area around Mammoth Hot Springs in YellowstoneDeer at sunrise in Shenandoah National Park

The great culprit of car accidents and frequent recipient of roadkill awards are deer. These can be seen along highways everywhere both day and night.

I recently made a trip to Shenandoah National Park and got some very nice shots of deer. I have many more from other places, but these are my best.

Deer jumping away in Shenandoah National ParkDeer looking onDeer on the road from Paradise in Mt. Rainier National ParkDeer grazing in the snow in Lewistown, MontanaBald Eagle shot taken in mid April 2017 near Cave Run Lake, KY

Sometimes I make trips to find the wildlife myself. Such was the case recently on a visit to the fish hatchery near Cave Run Lake in Eastern Kentucky. I was in search of some of the bald eagles that hang around there. Found one!

There have been more sightings recently of these lovely and regal birds. I have seen one or two almost every week at Jacobson Park locally and also have been able to see a nest with three adults and two offspring near Taylorsville Lake west of Lexington.

My most favorite wildlife subject is the Great Blue Heron. These huge birds hang around lakes and rivers in Kentucky and many other places. I literally have 1000s of photos of them. Here are a few recent ones from Lexington.

I have photos of these birds in Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Ohio and other places as well.

Blue herons in Taylorsville LakeBlue Heron in Flight over Jacobson Lake in KentuckyBreakfast time

I could post dozens and dozens of other photos, but I will only add a few other wildlife shots to this post from my travels.

Cormorants in flight over KentuckyTurkey vulture gathering on a road in central KentuckyPrairie Dog – Cactus Flats, SDPrairie Dog — standing watch in Cactus FlatsA prairie dog scampers near the Camp Disappointment MonumentMama Doggie – Cactus Flats, SDPelicans in formation over the Gulf of Mexico in Galveston, TXA pelican starts its dive for a meal into the gulfPelicans fly in formation over the beach in GalvestonChristmas morning sunrise in Ocean City , MD and greeted by a dolphin in the foreground.A closeup shot of a seagull taken on Bremerton Ferry while crossing the Puget Sound in WashingtonSeagull in flight with the Gulf of Mexico behind itA couple of seagulls “converse” as they enjoy the view over Lake Superior in WisconsinA pair of seagulls glide by in GalvestonCaught some nice seagull shots in Egg Harbor, WIAn osprey in flightMountain Goat in the Badlands of South DakotaA Great Egret relaxes in the swamp near Uncertain, TexasA red squirrel with a mouthful in Nebraska City, NECattle Egret seen in Angleton, TexasI found a gator in Brazos Bend State Park in TexasAnother Gator in Brazos Bend State Park

I spent two weeks in Rexburg from March 11 thru March 25, 2013 working on a job possibility. During my free time I spent a good deal of time in town and also looking around town and some of the surrounding areas.

Rexburg LDS Temple at sunrise

Perhaps Rexburg is best known for its LDS (Mormon) population, BYU-Idaho and the Rexburg Temple of the church (shown above). But Rexburg is also famous as the town that was practically destroyed by the Teton Dam Flood in June of 1976 (see story here). The town has been totally rebuilt since that time.

More murals from downtown Rexburg

Rexburg is kind of in a bowl, with mountain ranges all around it. To the east are the Grand Tetons, to the northwest is the Lemhi Range, which includes the 12,197 foot tall Diamond Peak. To the southeast are the mountains of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. The Craters of the Moon National Monument is southwest of Rexburg. (Unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to get there on this trip.

Old Rexburg Tabernacle which houses the Teton Flood Museum

There are a number of old things in and around town that have remained from the flood.

Teton Vu Drive-in

The Teton Vu Drive-in has had a few resurrections over the years. It was reopened in 1999, closed again in 2006 and has since reopened again in 2009 under new ownership. They offer shows and goodies. I liked the drive in sign – totally vintage.

Frontier Pies in Rexburg

In and around Rexburg there are a few great places to find goodies to eat. I had dinner a couple of times at the Frontier Pies Restaurant, which not only has pies but some good home cooking. The pies were awesome…

Frontier Pies

There is another famous place on the outskirts of Rexburg where giant burgers are the norm…

Big Jud’s Gourmet Burgers

Big Jud’s Country Diner is located in the small community of Archer, Idaho, a few miles south of Rexburg. This place has the hugest hamburgers I have ever seen and has even been featured on the TV Show Man vs. Food. Here are a few shots from Big Jud’s:

Another notable place to get goodies in Rexburg is Florence’s Exquisite Candies Chocolate shop, which can be found downtown. They hand make all of their chocolate offerings and the shop also has a unique interior.

Another interesting item in and around Rexburg are the gas stations with “Coke Can” gas tanks. Here are a couple of examples.

Coke Can Gas TankAnother Coke Can Gas Tank

There are other nearby communities that have some unique things to see as well.

Old Sugar City Grain SiloWelcome to Sugar City on the silo

Sugar City is a bedroom community to Rexburg. Like Rexburg, it went through some devastation during the Teton Flood. The town was founded in 1903 to house sugar beet factory workers of the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company. The factory closed in the 1940s and then, after the devastation of the flood in 1976, most of the businesses did not reopen.

Elk Bull in Sugar City

The Rocky Mountain Elk Ranch is located in Sugar City and I got to take a drive by there and see all of the elk. I only saw a couple of bulls with their antlers. They breed the elk locally and then release them to some of the mountain areas for hunting trips, etc.

Another Elk Bull

One afternoon, while my wife was out in Rexburg, we took a drive north towards St. Anthony, Idaho, another nearby community. We had as a goal to get to the St. Anthony Sand Dunes then, if possible, take a drive up the Mesa Falls Scenic Loop north of there, near Ashton, Idaho. Following is a map of the exact route we ended up taking and some of the photos we took during the trip.

St. Anthony is a small town of about 3500 just north of Rexburg and is the gateway to the St. Anthony Sand Dunes, a unique area west of town and one of those unexpected discoveries. I would have never thought about sand dunes in them as much as 400 feet tall. To get there we had to go through Parker and then to the Egin Lakes area campground.

Unique Yard Art in Parker, Idaho

Along the way we saw a house in Parker that has lined their fences with old highway signage. Amazing how people do these things!!

From the dunes we returned to St. Anthony and then headed north to Ashton, Idaho, which sits at the base of the mountains north of Rexburg and is the gateway to the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway, which we had hoped to take.

Welcome to Ashton – the Potato Seed Capital of Idaho

Upon arrival in the small town, the first thing I noticed was the Frostop Drive In – a page out of nostalgic America. Frostop Root Beer is one of those old well known brands, having its start in Springfield, Ohio in 1926. The diner in Ashton has been there since 1965 and has gone through a few owners.

Frostop Drive-in – Ashton, IDFrostop Mug

The big root beer mug rotates and draws you in to the old style drive in. We didn’t really want drive in fare, so we meandered across the street to a restaurant that looked like a huge log cabin.

Chriswell’s Trails Inn Restaurant – Ashton, ID

Chriswell’s Trails Inn Restaurant is rustic, homey and full of animal trophies. Last time I was in a place like this was at Ole’s Big Game Steak house in Nebraska (see the blog post here). I ordered a chicken fried steak, their speciality, and the thing was bigger than my plate. Further, unlike the chicken fried steaks I have had in the past, this one was made with real steak, not ground steak!!

Sumoflam at Chriswell’s with a Sand CraneRoad Kill Beef Jerky sign at Chriswell’sSome of the trophiesDigging into the Chicken Fried Steak – gravy was so good my nose wanted some too!!

Like other small towns in the west, there are still plenty of nostalgic signs. Here are a couple from Ashton.

Nostalgic sign in Ashton – still have cabins for rentOtis Place nostalgic neon sign in Ashton

From Ashton we headed up north on Idaho Highway 47, which is the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway. There were signs warning us that the road was closed ahead, so we followed it as far as we could go. It took us up into Targhee National Forest, and as we climbed in altitude, the snow got ever deeper. Bear in mind that this was the end of March.

Idaho 47 north of AshtonA snowy sceneAlong the Warm River on Meas Falls Scenic BywaySnow Covered Cabins near Warm River resortRoad Closed – snowmobiles only

We finally hit the dead end where only snowmobiles were allowed, and had to turn around and head back to Ashton.

Another scene near the Warm River

Once back in Ashton we made our to Idaho Highway 32 which would take us through the small towns of Drummond and Felt, and hopefully would offer us a few glimpses of the Tetons from the west. This was an extremely beautiful drive, particularly since we went through pristine snow covered hills…snow was very deep and practically untouched most of the way.

Snowy Scenes along highway 32The Tetons as seen from near Drummond, IDNothing but snow and mountainsOld Cabin near DrummondThe Grand Tetons from Felt, IdahoMore snow and mountains from the road

All in all, that Sunday drive from Rexburg to Ashton and Drummond and back was marvelous.

Old Sugar Mill Market

On another trip south of Rexburg, near Rigby, on US 20, you can see an old sugar mill off to the side of the road. Someone has meticulously painted the facade and it was, apparently at one time, the Old Sugar Mill Market. It appears to be out of business now, but it is eye catching from the highway.

Also, Rigby, Idaho is noted as the birthplace of the television. Philo T. Farnsworth invented the television tube here and there is a museum dedicated to him (along with other items from the Rigby area.)

Farnsworth TV and Pioneer Museum – Rigby, IDDowntown Rigby, ID

There are a few other places I visited in the area…here are some of the sights

An old truck in Archer, IDAn elk horn mailbox in Thornton, IDOld wall sign in Thornton, IDAn old barn with junk on it near Thornton, IDBeautiful skies over SE IdahoScary storm north of RexburgHay stacked in the fields near Archer, IDOld Rail Road Bridge near RigbyOld tractor in ThorntonMy car after a late March snowstorm in RexburgOne antlered elk bull on a breeding farm near Archer, ID